Draft-rigging for railway-cars.



PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

INVENTORY; J C. jh'lhamao'n rm 'n Pra'vs ATTOR E Finns on. moraumo. wnsummo H. G. WILLIAMSON & H, PRIES. DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIUATIQN FILED MAR. 27. 1903.

NO MODEL;

WITNESSES:

UNTTED STATES Patented September 15, 1903.

% ATENT Prion.

HENRY C. \VILLIAMSON AND HERMAN FRIES, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,866, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed March 27,1903. Serial No. 149,902. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,HENRY O. VVILLIAMsON and HERMAN PRIES, citizens of the United States, and residents of Michigan City, county of Laporte, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Railway-Oars, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to that type of draftrigging in which the draw-bar is supported by a swinging chair.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for carrying the bar whereby the centering of it is rendered certain.

lVhile it is important in car construction to provide for the lateral movement of the drawbar to relieve it and other portions of the car from strain and wear in rounding curves, it is also important that when the car is detached from others the draw-bar shall be in its central position in order to facilitate coupling.

The invention consists in the structure hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail plan view of a draftrigging as applied to a car, some portions being broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

There are shown in the drawings, of ordinary form, a pair of longitudinal car-sills 1O 10, an end sill 11, a buifer-plate 12, a drawbar 13, followers 14 15, and cheek-plates 16 17. Achair 18 supports the outer end of the drawbar and is itself carried by two T-shaped links swinging from the buffer-plate 12. The chair 18 is vertically apertured at each end, as shown at 19 19, and the head of the links 20 2O crosses the bottom of this aperture and receives its side walls upon each of their arms or hooks. The stem of each link projects upwardly through the aperture of the chair and enters a socket formed in the buffer-plate 12 and is secured therein by a pivot-pin 21, which is retained in place by means of a cotter-pin 22, passing transversely through a .boss 23,

formed 011 the face of the buffer-plate, the cotter-pin also passing through the pivot-pin 21. In this construction the bearing-points of the chair upon the links is outside of the vertical median line of the latter, and as the draw-bar is swung to either side the support is upon the forward arm of each of the hooks. As a result the bearing-points swing upon shorter radii than if they were in vertical line with the center of oscillation, and consequently the path through which each bearingpoint moves is more sharply inclined upwardly. This being the case, the draw-bar gravitates more readily to its central position than it would were its path more nearly horizontal, and any binding of the parts is more certainly overcome. The draw-bar plays between curved shoulders 26 26 of a supportingbracket 2i and similar shoulders 27 27 of a tie-plate 25, located above. The bracket 21 and plate 25 are preferably placed substantially midway between the normal position of the followers 14: 15. The shoulders 26 27 form the center of oscillation of the bar. In order to give the draw-bar a central bearing upon the follower whatever maybe its position, the outer faces of the followers 14 15 are made somewhat convex, as shown at 28 28.

The invention is applicable to vario is forms of draft-rigging, and any changes whic 1 might be required to apply it to forms other than the one shown will be readily suggested by the skill of the mechanic.

WVhile for the purpose of illustration a draftrigging has been shown which is located between a pair of car-sills, the invention is equally applicable to that form of construction in which special draft-timbers are employed.

1V e claim as our invention* 1. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a carsill, a swinging draw-bar, a chair supporting the draw bar and having vertical sockets through its ends, and double hooks having their stems passed through the sockets and pivotally attached to the sill.

2. In a draft -rigging, in combination, a swinging draw -bar chair, and supportinglinks for the chair, the chair resting loosely upon each link at two points one on each side of its center of oscillation.

3. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a swinging draw-bar, fixed guide-brackets therefor and having rounded faces.

4. In a draftrigging, in combination, a swinging draw-bar, and a pair of followers each having its draw-bar-engaging face convex in form.

5. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a swinging draw-bar, a pair of followers each having its draw-bar-engaging face convex in form, and a guide-bracket having rounded faces.

6. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a support, a swinging draw-bar, and agravity-controlled centering-chair carried by the sup-' port and upon which the draw-bar rests.

HENRY O. WILLIAMSON. HERMAN PRIES.

Witnesses THOMAS N. KEYS, H. V. OGDEN. 

